We had to create a fantasy landscape composite for my photo class. This was quite challenging- and for me involved three photos- a sky, mountains, and a Zabriskie Point (Death Valley) scene. I attempted to create early morning light- which everyone interpreted as sunset. And I added a bit of whimsy with the donut truck and burros. Lonnie is in there too, but he’s pretty hard to find. Oh yes- pelicans from Laguna Beach are flying over as well.
Last week I started hearing about some white pelicans that people were seeing at Watson Lake. I had seen a group (a “brief”, a “scoop”, a “squadron”) of pelicans fly over last year, but I had never seen them by or in the water. So of course, we went over to take a look.
The first day, we got there too late. At five o’clock they were already tucking their heads under their wings, but at 8:30 the next morning, there they were! I didn’t lug my long lens along, so the photos are not stellar, but it was so much fun to see them. Those of you that know me know I am NOT a birder- or even a lover of birds- but I do love water birds, shore birds and herons etc. And pelicans are my favorites!
We watched for about 45 minutes, and then all of a sudden a jerk with a camera strode across the grass right toward the pelicans and off they flew to another part of the lake. *&%#$
I also took some egret and heron photos- I’ll post those another day.
On the way back to Arizona, we drove through Death Valley. This shot was taken from Zabriskie Point- love those undulations in the rock!
Bodie looks a bit like a storybook town, and, when you wander over the acres and acres of this old ghost town, you can almost see the stories come to life.
I loved photographing and editing this old window display in Bodie. I was in the mood for blues!
as seen in Bodie
We took a day trip from Lone Pine to the famous ghost town, Bodie, which is now a state park. Bodie is interesting and fun for everyone, but is especially beloved by photographers. I was intrigued by the angles and shapes of the buildings contrasting with the almost cloudless skies that day- and had to force myself to take photos of some of the wonderful vintage items on display (those are usually my favorites). This is one shot of the shapes and angles of Bodie, but I edited it three ways for fun.
On our last day in Lone Pine, Lonnie and I spent a couple hours at Manzanar, the Japanese internment camp which is now a National Historic Site through the National Park Service. It was a sobering experience, but learning about this part of our history is important for all Americans.
Although the original buildings were torn down after the war, replicas have been rebuilt in the footprints of the originals, so one can get a sense of what this place was like during the war years.
The mountains behind the Alabama Hills made a beautiful backdrop as Lonnie and I drove through the dirt side roads of this fascinating area which was the setting for so many old western movies. This is a zoomed in view of Mr. Whitney behind the hills.
Whitney Portal Road goes from Lone Pine through the Alabama Hills and then starts its ascent up the mountain to 8,389 feet, where it ends at Whitney Portal. There are spectacular views of the hills below and of the mountain itself.
We have just returned from a fantastic trip to Lone Pine, California with my photo group. The goal was to see the Alabama Hills where many old movies, especially westerns, were filmed. It is a beautiful area with Mt. Whitney as a backdrop, and few in our group had ever been there. I wasn’t sure how I would do on this trip, because I knew that to see much of the area I would have to do a lot of walking. But my knee held up great, and with the help of my trekking poles, I was able to actually do a short hike up and down on uneven ground in order to take advantage of one of the iconic photo ops- the view of Mt. Whitney as seen through Mobius Arch.
BTW, to take this photo, you have to lie on your back on top of a boulder.
I have taken soooo many photos of Buckey over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever taken THIS angle. Score one for finding a new viewpoint! Actually TWO new viewpoints, because last week’s photo from the rear was a new angle for me as well.
For our courthouse assignment, I took some photos of the bottom of the fountain. A couple of our class members also used the fountain as their photo subject, and there were some GORGEOUS abstracts created! I revisited my fountain shots and decided to post this one, which has an emphasis on the pennies that had been tossed in with a wish. I love how the water distorts the tiles and the pennies themselves.
Another view of Buckey at Courthouse Square
A pretty view at the Alaska Native Heritage Center
melinda anderson photography 